THE MIcRroscopr. 185 
a medium-sized person, and all parts of the voluntary muscles 
were as full as this, he, or she, must have furnished a home for 
at least sixty to eighty millions of the parasites. 
From all the information derived from my own experience 
and examinations, and those of others, I am of the opinion that 
the number of our hogs infected will vary from two to eight 
per cent. on an average; that in badly-kept piggeries and lots, 
in the presence of rats and other vermin, the per cent. is largely 
increased ; but where hogs are kept in large, clean places, away 
from buildings and rats, and where they are not permitted to 
eat those that die, trichinze will seldom be found. 
Extract from paper read at the Sanitary Convention, held at An- 
derson, Ind., April 24th, 1884. 
—____—~< >—____ 
THE GERM ORIGIN OF DISEASE. 
The following is a portion of an article by Dr. W.S. Newton, in 
the Peoria Medical Monthly : 
When a disease has a germ origin it presents to us in its 
course some of the traits or phenomena of organic life, animal 
or tloral. 
Let us name a few of those phenomena and then apply 
them to our common diseases : 
1st. Animals and plants are so nearly similar that what 
fact will apply to one applies to the other also. An egg of an 
animal and a seed of a plant are similar structures and the be- 
ginning of all organic life. After life is originated in many 
cases it may be propagated by buds. To start life from seeds 
and eggs they must be submitted to either germination or incu- 
bation and consequent fermentation. 
2nd. Germination or incubation puts in motion a force 
called fermentation or zymosis. No organic body can decay 
and rot without fermentation. Flesh, fruit and all organic bod- 
ies would never decay if millions of germs did not incubate in 
every fibre and atom and set up fermentation and consequent 
decay. 
The tooth of oxygen may eat iron and nearly all metals 
without germ lie, but when organic bodies decay incubation or 
germination starts the process. In some countries meat is ele- 
